Ranking the NHL's Mascots

We've ranked the mascots of 28 National Hockey League teams, as all but two franchises (Rangers and Flyers) have "official" mascots. By Andrew Vailliencourt (@AndrewVcourt) and Ryan Fish (@RyanMFish)

SI Staff | Oct 14, 2016

Ranking the NHL's Mascots /

Ranking the NHL's Mascots

#28: Thunderbug — Tampa Bay Lightning

Bugs aren’t cute or intimidating.

#27: Louie — St. Louis Blues

A blue bear isn’t the worst choice for a Blues mascot, though this bear looks more like a beanie baby or cheesy cartoon character. Not the look a hockey team should be going for.

#26: Nordy — Minnesota Wild

Mark Humphrey/AP; Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage (inset)

Looks like he could be Alex from the movie Madagascar (inset). The bad color scheme doesn’t help.

#25: Stormy — Carolina Hurricanes

The name is awesome, but Stormy just doesn’t have the “it” factor.

#24: Hunter — Edmonton Oilers

The newly-announced mascot is a lynx cat. A creative idea, but Hunter looks almost too scary for its own good. Now the Oilers’ play on the ice won’t be the only thing giving Edmonton fans nightmares.

#23: Bernie — Colorado Avalanche

Colorado-Avalanche-mascot-Bernie-inset-Howler-the-Yeti.jpg — Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images; Brian Bahr/Getty Images (inset)

There’s nothing inherently bad, yet also nothing really exciting about Bernie. The Avs would jump higher in the rankings if they brought back their old mascot, Howler the Yeti (inset).

#22: Stanley C. Panther and Viktor E. Ratt — Florida Panthers

Florida-Panthers-mascots-Stanley-C-Panther-Viktor-E-Ratt.jpg — Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images

Stanley C. Panther is boring. Very boring. However it does resemble the team name and that keeps it out of the basement. Newer mascot Viktor E. Ratt was named in honor of the club's 1996 Stanley Cup Final run where rats were tossed on ice, which took longer to sweep off the ice than the team getting swept by the Avalanche for the Cup.

#21: Howler — Arizona Coyotes

He’s cute, but it feels like the Coyotes could’ve done more here. Doesn’t seem like the kind of mascot that gets fans into a howling mood.

#20: Sabretooth — Buffalo Sabres

Not quite cute enough and not quite intimidating enough. Pick one and go with it.

#19: Stinger — Columbus Blue Jackets

Columbus-Blue-Jackets-mascot-Stinger-inset-Bee-Movie-Barry.jpg — Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images; Victor Chavez/WireImage (inset)

Ugly and uninspiring. But hey, at least it’s not Barry from The Bee Movie (inset).

#18: Victor E. Green — Dallas Stars

People love furry green mascots. This alien is a middle-of-the pack mascot.

#17: Spartacat — Ottawa Senators

Spartacat is a polarizing figure. On one hand, he’s passionate and has been synonymous with the Senators for years. As far as Lion mascots go, however, Ottawa could've made him a lot better looking.

#16: Carlton the Bear — Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs did a good job here, since having a leaf as a mascot would not work well. Carlton is named after the street the old Maple Leaf Garden was located.

#15: Harvey the Hound — Calgary Flames

Calgary-Flames-mascot-Harvey-the-Hound-61CT4123-inset-Craig-MacTavish.jpg — David E. Klutho; YouTube (inset)

Harvey gets some credit for being the NHL’s first mascot and for being a big hit with Flames fans. But the tongue hanging out of the mouth is not a good look. In fact, it was bad enough for a coach to rip out Harvey’s tongue during a game (inset).

#14: Tommy Hawk — Chicago Blackhawks

Solid. Not great, not bad, right in the middle.

#13: Iceburgh — Pittsburgh Penguins

Cute enough, though he would look even better with un-crossed eyes.

#12: Gnash — Nashville Predators

Gnash is everything Buffalo's mascot Sabretooth should strive to be.

#11: Blades — Boston Bruins

Approaching the upper tier here. Blades is cool and fierce-looking, which is all you really need in a mascot.

#10: S.J. Sharkie — San Jose Sharks

It’s an easy choice for a mascot when your team name is the “Sharks.” S.J. Sharkie looks the part, too. The only thing he’s missing is a more creative name.

#9: Al the Octopus — Detroit Red Wings

The only mascot that doesn’t have a person inside, but man is it cool looking. In 1952, fans threw an octopus on the ice to symbolize the eight wins needed to win the Stanley Cup. The tradition continued and Al became the team’s mascot. With 25 straight playoff appearances, that’s a lot of octopi on the ice in Hockeytown. Easily the best tradition in the NHL.

#8: Bailey — Los Angeles Kings

Not only is Bailey a great looking mascot, he is named after Garnet “Ace” Bailey, the team’s director of pro scouting who was killed in the attacks on 9/11 after United Airlines Flight 175, the plane he was on, hit the south tower of the World Trade Center.

#7: Fin — Vancouver Canucks

Killer whales are cool, common to the Vancouver area and naturally intimidating. One of the more fitting and unique mascots in the league.

#6: Sparky the Dragon — New York Islanders

Dragons are awesome, and Sparky is no different.

#5: N.J. Devil — New Jersey Devils

Tough, clean-cut, but not too hellish. The Devil is certainly Top Five material.

#4: Slapshot — Washington Capitals

A fierce, fitting mascot for the high-powered Capitals.

#3: Mick E. Moose — Winnipeg Jets

Great name, great look. The antlers and aviator cap make Mick one of the best in the game. After serving as the mascot for the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, the Jets decided to call him up to the big leagues when the team returned to Winnipeg.

#2: Youppi! — Montreal Canadiens

The lovable mascot was first with the Montreal Expos, until the team moved to Washington D.C. Youppi! was then brought to the Canadiens, where he has been the mascot since 2005. Fun fact: he was the first mascot to be ejected from an MLB game.

#1: Wild Wing — Anaheim Ducks

Anaheim-Ducks-mascot-Wild-Wing-Power-Players-Ice-Girls.jpg — John Cordes/Icon Sportswire

Bold, exciting and a fan favorite, Wild Wing is what NHL mascots should aspire to be. Nostalgia also plays a factor here; you can’t help but remember the good ‘ol days of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. All things considered, he’s the cream of the crop.

Published Oct 14, 2016

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